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Horticulture Information Leaflet 601
Revised 6/94 -- Author Reviewed 4/97
PLANTING TECHNIQUES FOR TREES AND SHRUBS
M. A. (Kim) Powell, Extension Horticultural Specialist
Department of Horticultural Science
Distributed in furtherance
of the Acts of Congress
of May 8 and June 30, 1914.
Employment and program
opportunities are offered to
all people regardless of
race, color, national origin,
sex, age, or disability.
North Carolina State University,
North Carolina A&T State
University, U.S. Department
of Agriculture, and local
governments cooperating.
North Carolina
Cooperative Extension Service
NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE & LIFE SCIENCES
A properly planted tree or shrub will be
more tolerant of adverse conditions and
require much less management than one
planted incorrectly. Planting technique
impacts water quality as it minimizes
water, fertilizer and pesticide use. When
making decisions on planting techniques,
one should consider how the plant was
grown in the nursery, the plant’s drainage
requirements, the soil type and drainage
characteristics, and the availability of
irrigation water. The plant should be
specifically appropriate to the site, or the
site should be amended to specifically fit
the plant.
The Challenge: Horticulture researchers
have estimated that 75% of the roots may
be lost when digging field-grown nursery
stock. Cultural practices by the
nurseryman, such as root pruning,
irrigation, fertilization, root-ball
configuration, and digging techniques,
influence the percentage of harvested roots.
Water stress, due to removal of most of the
water-absorbing roots, is the primary cause
of transplant failure. Most water
absorption capability within a transplanted
root-ball results from very small diameter
roots. These fragile roots are the first to
suffer from excess water loss in newly
transplanted landscape plants.
Sources of Plant Material: Landscape
contractors and home gardeners can choose
from a wide variety of plant material in
North Carolina. Plants are grown by
various production methods, e.g. bare-root,
balled and burlapped, fabric container
and plastic container. Some large
landscape trees are mechanically dug with
a tree-spade and placed in wire baskets.
Each of these harvesting and growing
techniques is acceptable, but requires a
specific planting and management
technique.
Bare-root Plants: Advantages of planting
bare-root plants are mostly economical.
Plants are less expensive to produce
because of the ease of harvesting, storing
and shipping. Many species respond well
to bare-root harvesting. A greater portion
and longer roots are retained after
harvesting and roots are easily inspected
at planting time. Damaged roots can be
trimmed and girdling roots can be removed
before planting. Bare-root plants should
be planted while they are completely
dormant. Landscape-sized bare-root trees
usually require staking.
Balled and Burlapped Plants: Larger
landscape plants are traditionally harvested
as “balled and burlapped” (B&B). A major
advantage of B&B plants is that soil types
can be matched, thereby reducing any
interface problems that might inhibit water
movement between the rootball and
surrounding soil of the landscape site.
There is an acceptable, standardized
formula for sizing rootballs, which is the

Horticulture Information Leaflet 601
Revised 6/94 -- Author Reviewed 4/97
PLANTING TECHNIQUES FOR TREES AND SHRUBS
M. A. (Kim) Powell, Extension Horticultural Specialist
Department of Horticultural Science
Distributed in furtherance
of the Acts of Congress
of May 8 and June 30, 1914.
Employment and program
opportunities are offered to
all people regardless of
race, color, national origin,
sex, age, or disability.
North Carolina State University,
North Carolina A&T State
University, U.S. Department
of Agriculture, and local
governments cooperating.
North Carolina
Cooperative Extension Service
NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE & LIFE SCIENCES
A properly planted tree or shrub will be
more tolerant of adverse conditions and
require much less management than one
planted incorrectly. Planting technique
impacts water quality as it minimizes
water, fertilizer and pesticide use. When
making decisions on planting techniques,
one should consider how the plant was
grown in the nursery, the plant’s drainage
requirements, the soil type and drainage
characteristics, and the availability of
irrigation water. The plant should be
specifically appropriate to the site, or the
site should be amended to specifically fit
the plant.
The Challenge: Horticulture researchers
have estimated that 75% of the roots may
be lost when digging field-grown nursery
stock. Cultural practices by the
nurseryman, such as root pruning,
irrigation, fertilization, root-ball
configuration, and digging techniques,
influence the percentage of harvested roots.
Water stress, due to removal of most of the
water-absorbing roots, is the primary cause
of transplant failure. Most water
absorption capability within a transplanted
root-ball results from very small diameter
roots. These fragile roots are the first to
suffer from excess water loss in newly
transplanted landscape plants.
Sources of Plant Material: Landscape
contractors and home gardeners can choose
from a wide variety of plant material in
North Carolina. Plants are grown by
various production methods, e.g. bare-root,
balled and burlapped, fabric container
and plastic container. Some large
landscape trees are mechanically dug with
a tree-spade and placed in wire baskets.
Each of these harvesting and growing
techniques is acceptable, but requires a
specific planting and management
technique.
Bare-root Plants: Advantages of planting
bare-root plants are mostly economical.
Plants are less expensive to produce
because of the ease of harvesting, storing
and shipping. Many species respond well
to bare-root harvesting. A greater portion
and longer roots are retained after
harvesting and roots are easily inspected
at planting time. Damaged roots can be
trimmed and girdling roots can be removed
before planting. Bare-root plants should
be planted while they are completely
dormant. Landscape-sized bare-root trees
usually require staking.
Balled and Burlapped Plants: Larger
landscape plants are traditionally harvested
as “balled and burlapped” (B&B). A major
advantage of B&B plants is that soil types
can be matched, thereby reducing any
interface problems that might inhibit water
movement between the rootball and
surrounding soil of the landscape site.
There is an acceptable, standardized
formula for sizing rootballs, which is the